Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz, in answer to a press conference question yesterday following the fifteenth session of the assembly of the Interior Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in particular, as the heartland of Islam, and the other GCC states in general, are determined to stand firmly against terrorism and its ideological origins, which may lie in western countries, or other countries, and be financed from there. Prince Nayef expressed grief at propaganda that the tools and implementers of terrorism are the sons of Arabs or of Muslims.

Confirming that Saudi Arabia cooperates with all countries all over the world to combat terrorism, Prince Nayef stated: "We will deal with any country wishing to deal with us in exchanging security information and cooperation". Prince Nayef also ruled out the possibility that the GCC states are a source of drugs. Concerning security in the GCC states, Prince Nayef reiterated the strong relations binding the states, and affirmed that the GCC Interior Ministers are fully aware of the importance of complete security cooperation for the safety of all citizens.

During their fifteenth assembly, the GCC Interior Ministers discussed in depth the progressive march of cooperation, coordination and security integration, in line with the recommendations of a preparatory committee of undersecretaries which met earlier this year. In an official statement issued after the meeting, the ministers expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the work of this committee and underlined the importance of continuing its meetings to bring about enhanced cooperation and coordination in various security fields.

The statement reported that another key issue taken up was to explore ways of carrying out the Supreme Council's resolutions adopted during its sixteenth session related to boosting employment opportunities for GCC citizens and facilitating the transfer of national manpower among the member states in line with the directives and policies approved by the GCC leaders.

The statement recorded that the ministers also discussed the latest developments and regional and international security events, and condemned the growing trends of terrorism, extremism, and violence, and the reasons for them, which result in the destruction of installations, the slaughter of innocent people, and the disruption of security and stability. They reaffirmed their determination to fight these trends in all their forms by intensification of joint contacts, cooperation and coordination among the various security bodies in member states. The ministers likewise condemned the incidents in Riyadh and Al-Khobar and expressed their total support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wishing for its government and people constant security and stability under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz. They also expressed their satisfaction at and support for the procedures undertaken by the State of Bahrain and by the State of Kuwait to ensure their security and stability.